Loading and unloading device



H. W. THORN.

LOADING AND UNLOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, ISI-9.

Patented NIW. I, 1921.

W/ITN E SS l ZM STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD W. THORN, OF CHROME, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED STATES METALSREFININ'G C0., OF HBOME, NEW JERSEY, A COBPORATON OF NEW JERSEY.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD W. THonN, acitizen of the United States of America, residing in Chrome, county ofMiddlesex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Loading and Unloading Devices,- of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in loading and unloading devicesand installations, especially applicable for use in railroad yards andsidings, and aims to provide improvements therein. f 4

The invention provides a device and struc` ture whereby articles nlay bepicked up from a position in front of the door o f a freight car, orfrom a truck on a loading and unloading track alongside of the railroadtrack and in front of the door of a railroad car, and delivered insideof the freight car, or vice versa; that'is, picked up from the interiorof the freight car, and

delivered upon a truck in front of the door.

of a freight car, or upon the ground, or other place alongside of thefreight car.

The invention provides a device which may be readily moved from one carto another of a train of cars, or which may be moved to a car to beloaded orl unloaded, without having to move the car.

yThe invention further provides a device having a rail upon which acarriage carrying hoist-means slides back and forth, which has a movablepart which may be extended into the interior of a freight car, orwithdrawn in such manner as not to project over the railroad, or beyondthel sides of a car thereon.

The invention further provides means whereby the rail in which the hoistcarriage moves is revented from movin laterally when proJecting throughthe oor of' a freight car, in such manner that the load carried by thehoist could strike against or come in contact with the sides of the doorof the freight car. v

The invention further provides certain combinations and arrangements inparts, liereinaftenmore fully s'et forth and described, whereby 4thefunctions of loading and unloading a freight car are carried out withcomparative ease and celerity.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application led September 24, 1919. Serial No. 325,863.

view across a railroad siding, and showing the aforesaid embodiment ofthe invention alongside a freight car, and in position to load material`from a truck on a loading track alongside of the railroad track, into afreight car.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cross rail shown in Fig. 1, upon which thehoist-carriage runs or slides, and illustrating the means for spacingthe said cross rail from the sides of the door.

In said drawings, numeral 1 designates a suitable framework alongside aloading and unloading track way or place 2, and having an overheadportion 3. Upon the overhead portion 3 ofthe framework there issuspended from the lower side thereof a rail or railspreferably a pairof rails, 4. These rails 4 extend over and parallel to the loading andunloading track or way 2. The tracks 4 are most conveniently I beams.

Suspended from the overhead track or tracks 4, there is a cross rail 6,comprising `a portion 7 and a portion 8. The' portion 7 is attached. tothe rail or rails 4 through slidable connections 9, which convenientlycomprise arms carrying rollers which roll upon the upper face of thelower flange of the -beams 4. The portion 8 is movable into and out-ofalinement with the portion 7 of the cross-rail. When extended or in itsalined position, the portion 8 extends over the railroad track 11, andthrough a doorway 12 of a car 13 standing upon said railroad track, andwhen said portion 8 of the cross rail is withdrawn, it clears therailroad track and sufficient of the space beside the track to enable afreight car to pass without the said portion striking against its sides.To this end, the parts 7 and 8 of the cross rail are preferably hingedupon a horizontal pivot, as indicated at 15, and means, as indicated at17, are preferably provided for holding the part 8 o'f the rail in'extended position, where such part 8 is horizontally pivoted, asindicated. The fastening means 17 may comprise a bolt passing throughlugs on the parts 7 and 8 respectively of the cross-rail.

The cross-rail 6 is most conveniently an I beam.

Upon the cross-rail 6 there is slidabl mounted a carriage 2O which isslidable bac and forth thereon, and which is convenelltly Pfvfd with.rollers which roll upon the upper faces of the lower iiange of the Ibeams.

Upon thecarriage 2() there is attached or mounted any suitable hoistmeans 25. As here shown` the hoist is a pneumatic hoist, comprising acable 26, pulleys 27 and 28, one of which is moved in and out by thepiston, and a hook 29.

In order to space the cross-beam 6 from the sides of the doorway of acar, when the portion 8 thereof is extended through a doorway` the headportion 8 of the cross-rail 1s preferably provided with lateralextensions or wings 30. and these lateral extensions preferably havebroad extremities, being conveniently fan-shaped as shown, in order thatthe said projections may contact with the sides of doors of cars ofdifferent widths.

The pieces or articles to be loaded are convenientl)v broughtalongside'the freight car.

to be loaded by a truck 40, the truck rolling 'upon the loading andunloading rails or way 2.

Operation: Articles to be loaded are brought to a position alongside afreight car. and are conveniently brought to said position upon a, truck40 running upon the rails or way 2. The cross rail carrying the hoist isthen slid upon the overhead rails 4 to a position over the material tobe loaded, and in front of the door of the freight car to be loaded. Thehinged por tion 8 of the cross-rail 6 is then brought to extendedposition` and fastened in said position by the means 17. The part 8 ofthe cross-rail then extends through the doorway into the interior of thefreight car. The pneumatic hoist is operated to lower the cable with thehooks 29 thereon, and the articles are placed upon said hooks. The.pneumatic hoist is then operated to lift the articles. and the carriage20 carrying the hoist is slid along the cross-rail to a position insideof the freight car, as indicated by the dotted outline of the carriage.Here the hoist is operated to deposit the load upon the floor of thefreight car, or upon va hand truck within the freight car. The carriage2O carrying the hoist is thereupon slid back upon the cross-rail 6 to aposition above the material to be loaded, taking up a new load anddepositing it within the freight car in the manner just described. Theprojections or wings 30 prevent the cross-rail moving'on the overheadrails 4 to such an extent that articles carried upon the hoist. willstrike against the sides of the doorway while the carriage is being slidalong the cross-rail 6 into or out of the car.`

To shift the hoist to a position in front of the door of another freightcar, it is simply necessary to unloosen the fastening means 17, lowerthe portion 8 of the cross-rail, so that it clears the side of thefreight 93.1.', @Ildto slide the cross-rail on the overhead rails 4until the parts reach said osition in front of the door of another freigt car. The portion 8 of the cross-rail is then raised so as to extendWithin the doorway, and loading is effected in the manner heretoforedescribed.

Unloading of a freight car or cars is effected in a manner veryanalogous to loading, the loaded `hoistbeingl shifted from a posltionwithin the freight car to a position over a truck or other part or placealongside the freight car.

The inventive ideas herein set forth may receive other embodiments thanthose herein specifically illustrated and described.

What is claimed is l. A loading and unloading device, comprising ahinged rail, and supporting means for said rail and on which said railis movable, a carriage movable on said rail, and hoist means on saidcarriage, one part of said rail being attached to the supporting means,and the other part hingedly connected with said first part and providedwith lateral extensions adapted to space said rail from the sides of adoorway into which the rail is adapted to be extended.

2. loading and unloading device, comprising a hinge-d rail, overheadtrack suspending and supporting means for said rail and on which saidrail is movable, a carria e movable on said rail, and hoist means onsald carriage, one part .of said rail being attached to said overheadsuspension means, and the other part having movementl to and fromalinement with the first mentioned part of the rail, whereby saidmovable part may be extended within a doorway and be swung so as toclear said doorway.

3. A loading and unloading device, comprising an overhead frameworkhaving a track thereon, a cross rail horizontally suspended from saidframework and movable relatively thereto along said track, a carriagemovable on said cross rail, and hoist means on said carriage, said crossrail being formed of two hingedly connected sections, one of which isattached to the framework and the other normally forming substantially aright angle with the first and adapted to be brought into operativealinement therewith.

4. A loading and unloading device, comprising a rail, overhead tracksuspending and supporting means for said rail, and on which said rail ismovable, a carriage movable on said rail, and hoist means on saidcarriage, said rail being hinged, one part being attached to saidoverhead suspension means and the other part having movement to and fromalinement with the other part of the rail, whereby said movable hingedpart may be extended within a doorway and be swung so as to clear saiddoorway, said movable hinged part of the rail having lateral extensionsthereon adapted to space said rail from the sides of the doorway whenextended within said doorway.V

5. A loading and unloading device, comprising a suspended rail having ahinged movable part, a carriage movable on said v rail, and hoist-meanson said carriage, said slidable thereon,

hinged part of said rail having thereon lateral extensions for spacingthe same from the sides of a doorway through which said rail mayproject.

6. A loading and unloading device, comprising a pair of suspended rails,a crossrail suspended from and slidable on said air of rails, a carriageon said cross-rail and hoist-means on said carriage, said cross-railhaving a hinged portion projecting beyond said pair' of suspended railsnormally out of alinement with said main cross-rail portion, but adaptedto be brought into operative alinement therewith, and held in suchalinement by rigid securing means.

7 A loading and unloading device, comprising a pair of suspended ralls,a cross-rail suspended from and slidable on said pair of rails, acarriage on said cross-rail slidable thereon, and hoist-means on saidcarriage, said cross-rail having a horizontally hinged portionprojecting beyond said pair of suspended rails normally out of alinementwith said main cross-rail portion, but adapted to be brought intooperative alinement therewith, and held in such alinement by rigidsecuring means.

8. A loading and unloading device comprising an overhead frameworkalongside a. railroad track, a pair of rails suspended therefrom, and across-rail suspended from and slidable on said pair of rails, a carriageon said cross-rail slidable thereon, and hoistmeans on-said carriagesaid cross-rail having a hinged portion, adapted in one position toclear a car on said track, and in its extended position to extendthrough the doorway into a car, whereby said carriage carrying saidhoist may slide on said cross-rail and deliver a load from a positionalongside said car to a position within said car, or vice versa.

9. A loading and unloading installation comprising a loading andunloading track alongside a railroad track, an overhead framework oversaid loading and unloading track, a pair of rails suspended therefrom,and a cross rail suspended from and slidable on said pair of rails, acarriage on said crossrail slidable thereon, and hoist means on saidcarriage said cross-rail having a hinged portion, adapted in oneposition to clear a car on said track, and in its extended position toextend through the doorway into a car, whereb said carriage carryingsaid hoist may slide on said cross-rail and deliver a load from a` truckon said loading and unloading track to the interior of a car on saidrailroad track, or vice versa.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

H OWARD WV. THORN.

